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Painting Kitchen Cabinets

March 29, 2013

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How to paint kitchen cabinets

I have been wanting to update my kitchen ever since I bought my house five years ago. You can read about why my kitchen needs an update here.

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets - Before painting my kitchen cabinets, I did a lot of research. I found the perfect way to paint kitchen cabinets. It's not hard, but it will take some time and patience. I love my new white kitchen cabinets and can say that they are worth it!

The first thing I decided to tackle was painting the builder-grade oak cabinets. I spent weeks searching the internet, looking for inspiration and DIY instructions on painting kitchen cabinets. There is so much information out there! My head was spinning! There are so many different opinions and options for painting kitchen cabinets: “use oil-based paint”, “use latex”, “use a sprayer”, “don’t use a sprayer”, clean with TSP”, “don’t clean with TSP”, “one coat of primer”, “two coats of primer”, “paint with a brush”, “paint with a roller” and on and on and on. Now you know why my head was spinning!

So what did I do? I went to my neighborhood paint store. A real paint store, where they sell nothing but paint. High end paint. That was the best advice I read. The owner was very knowledgable, has been in the paint business for decades and so I decided to trust his opinion. For paint, he recommended  Muralo Ultra Waterborne Semi-Gloss Enamel. His reasons:

  • it’s water-based (easy clean-up)
  • no odor
  • won’t yellow
  • levels perfectly
  • hardens to a nice sheen (not too glossy)

I was a little surprised. I thought for sure he was going to recommend Benjamin Moore (he carries Benjamin Moore) because I had read a lot of good reviews from bloggers that had used it on their kitchen cabinets. While he said that the Benjamin Moore was a good option, he believed that the Muralo was a little better. That they have been making it longer and was best in his opinion. So off I went with my gallon of the 757 Ultra White Muralo Ultra Waterborne Scrubbable Semi-Gloss Enamel!

Muralo Ultra Waterborne Semi-Gloss Enamel. it’s water-based (easy clean-up) no odor won’t yellow levels perfectly hardens to a nice sheen.
I’ll share how I painted my kitchen cabinets white, but first here is a “before” photo:
Kitchen cabinets before painting. Builder-grade cabinets in need of a facelift. How to paint builder grade cabinets white.
As you can see, it’s a small kitchen. Besides those cabinets that you can see in the photo, there is one above and beside the refrigerator on the opposite wall. So not a lot cabinets. I should get this done pretty quick, right? WRONG!

I am in week THREE and I’m not done yet! Keep in mind that I work full time and am doing this completely by myself. Dan is NOT into home improvements AT ALL. No interest whatsoever. I knew this going in, so I’m fine with it.

But he has to put up with weeks of cabinet doors on tomato cans all over the living room floor! I used soup cans to hold the kitchen cabinets doors while the paint dried.

How to paint kitchen cabinets

  1. remove doors and hardware
  2. clean doors and cabinet boxes with a cleaner/degreaser (such as Simple Green)
  3. lightly sand doors and cabinet boxes
  4. wipe with damp lint-free cloth
  5. apply a coat of Klean-Strip Deglosser and let dry for 10 minutes
  6. apply a coat of latex primer (with a good brush, I use Purdy brushes)
  7. after primer is dry, lightly sand
  8. apply a second coat of latex primer
  9. sand again ; )
  10. paint on three coats of paint, lightly sanding between each coat and letting each coat dry 12 hours

TRUTH: This is a long, tedious process. If you are contemplating doing this, please know that this will take a long time. Especially, if you work full-time outside the home and are doing it by yourself. If you have a bigger kitchen than mine, I feel sorry for you! Just kidding, I’m envious, but have help!

I did paint both sides of the cabinet doors and the inside edge of each cabinet box. I just think it looks better that way.

Want to see a photo of how my cabinets look now?

white-painted-cabinets_createandbabble
DIY-white-painted-cabinets_createandbabble
Once the cabinet painting is done, I’ll move on to removing the wall paper border that’s on the bulkhead above the cabinets.

There is still much to do and decisions to be made regarding the counter, backsplash, appliances and flooring. But for now, I’m going to focus on finishing the cabinets!

UPDATE: Cabinets painting is done!

Kitchen Makeover Part 2

Kitchen Makeover Part 3

Kitchen Makeover Part 4

Linking up here and also at Wow Us Wednesdays

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Filed Under: Featured, Featured Projects, Home Decor, Home Improvement, Tutorials

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Comments

  1. Nanci says

    March 30, 2013 at 8:02 am

    Wow what a tedious job, but they look professional. I know you must love the updated and brighter look of your kitchen! Well done!

    Reply
    • Jeanie says

      March 30, 2013 at 9:19 am

      Thanks Nanci, I do love it! It is much brighter and seems bigger now, too.

      Reply
  2. Lindsay Stewart says

    March 31, 2013 at 4:04 pm

    I LOVE the look of the white cupboards!! What a great update! I wish I had my own kitchen to update now ha ha!

    Reply
    • Jeanie says

      March 31, 2013 at 11:29 pm

      Thanks Lindsay, the white cabinets make a huge difference. My kitchen is so much brighter and seems bigger. It’s definitely worth the work!

      Reply
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    June 27, 2014 at 2:34 pm

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  5. Ruby Snyder says

    April 4, 2016 at 12:15 am

    Okay, that’s it! I am officially chalk painting some ugly old wood furniture in my kitchen! Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Oliver Painter says

    February 25, 2017 at 11:01 am

    Hey Jeanie,

    I am amazed with the results of your projects. It inspires me to do something similar with this in the future. I really love your kitchen cabinets anyway. Thanks for sharing!

    Cheers,
    Oliver

    Reply
  7. marry says

    March 7, 2018 at 10:47 am

    Hello Jeanie,

    I am quite surprised by the consequences of your activities. It motivates me to accomplish something comparable with this later on. I truly adore your kitchen cupboards in any case. A debt of gratitude is in order for sharing!
    all the very best..!

    Reply
  8. Patricia Finch says

    February 11, 2019 at 4:24 am

    Thank you for providing us with these some tips from which we can paint our kitchen cabinets.

    Reply
  9. Herman Stark says

    February 22, 2019 at 7:54 am

    The kitchen is where I invest the greater part of my free time. So, I like to prepare a wide range of dinners. Additionally, kitchen configuration is very important to me, so reading blogs like this is a real joy. Love this article and the tips you’ve provided!Thanks for sharing such an informative blog about Kitchen Cabinets paint.

    Reply
  10. Queensland commercial kitchen equipment says

    September 11, 2019 at 1:10 pm

    When purchasing catering equipment especially those that are somewhat complex to operate request for the operations manual. This will help you understand how to use the equipment and avoid damaging it due to wrong use.

    Reply
  11. industrial kitchen supplies Queensland says

    October 17, 2019 at 5:03 am

    The kitchen in a house needs to be well designed and very functional. There are varieties of tools that you can add on your kitchen to make it better.

    Reply
  12. john says

    November 30, 2019 at 10:17 am

    Very interesting and informative. Loved it.
    To buy beat quality paints to paint kitchen cabinet at best prices.
    Visit:- http://www.advancedpaints.co.uk

    Reply
  13. Happy Hiller says

    January 5, 2020 at 9:52 am

    Thank you for this guide!
    I find it really helpful!

    Reply
  14. Diego Nieves says

    September 24, 2020 at 3:02 am

    Great Post. Thanks for sharing this amazing ideas.

    Reply
  15. Steve Davis says

    October 28, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    I have been considering getting a model home this winter. I liked that you explained that it would be smart to be creative when painting a model home. It is good to know that having an accent wall could help make your home have a focal point.

    Reply
  16. Painting Contractor says

    March 25, 2021 at 6:32 am

    This is a good article. There a lot to find out about this topic. Your planning to paint your kitchen cabinets a good idea to know the basics of kitchen color palettes and choose a cabinet color that fits your personality and your home’s style. Not sure about the color, ask the help of a professional painter.

    Reply
  17. toolofchef says

    December 16, 2021 at 5:14 pm

    Can you please recommend me Some good knifes?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. My DIY Kitchen Makeover {Part Two} - Create and Babble says:
    April 4, 2013 at 12:07 pm

    […] am happy to say that the cabinet painting is done, done, done! Whew! And this lovely wallpaper border is […]

    Reply
  2. Today is My Looksi Day! - Create and Babble says:
    April 25, 2013 at 6:31 am

    […] that have allowed me to feature their kitchen! You ladies rock! They have inspired me to makeover my own kitchen. It is still a work-in-progress, but it’s getting there. I have learned so much from these […]

    Reply
  3. Pfister Faucet Giveaway - Create and Babble says:
    November 25, 2013 at 11:44 am

    […] that I have an ongoing project at my house. I started updating my kitchen back in March when I painted the cabinets white, got rid of the hideous red wall, added bright patterns and color and painted the pantry door that […]

    Reply
  4. Slate Floor Grout Renew - Create and Babble says:
    February 17, 2014 at 6:40 pm

    […] second year, (which was last year) is when I started updating the kitchen. I painted the cabinets, the walls, ceiling and pantry door. I also made roman shades, replaced the sink, installed a new […]

    Reply
  5. Staircase Makeover - Create and Babble says:
    April 8, 2014 at 6:32 am

    […] out of town on business every March and I start a DIY project while he’s away. Last year I painted the kitchen cabinets. This year I tackled the staircase. It was in dire need of a makeover. It was especially evident […]

    Reply
  6. Powder Room Makeover About the Trim - Create and Babble says:
    September 12, 2014 at 1:22 pm

    […] For the trim above and below the glass tile border, I used this cabinet trim moulding from Home Depot. I cut the ends at a 45 degree angle using my Ryobi miter saw to get a mitered corner in each corner of the room. I painted the wood with two coats of primer first, then two coats of my favorite white paint. It’s the same paint I used on the staircase makeover and kitchen cabinets. […]

    Reply
  7. Easy Light Fixture Makeover with Spray Paint says:
    October 6, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    […] spray paint, so I knew that it would work perfectly for the light fixture. See how I used it in my kitchen makeover, […]

    Reply
  8. My DIY Kitchen Makeover (Part 3) - Create and Babble says:
    October 6, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    […] case you missed them, here are Part 1 and Part 2 of this kitchen […]

    Reply
  9. An Easy Way to Make Lined Curtains - Create and Babble says:
    March 5, 2015 at 6:03 am

    […] (pre-blog), I painted the walls and vanity in the master bathroom. The next year, I painted the kitchen cabinets, and last year I made over the staircase. I think I know what this year’s project will  be, […]

    Reply
  10. Choosing Kitchen Flooring - Create and Babble says:
    March 16, 2015 at 6:00 am

    […] mind you. No ripping out cabinets or walls. Just basically a “facelift”. I started by painting the cabinets white, which I still love and they’re holding up very well by the […]

    Reply
  11. 1diffusion says:
    January 12, 2022 at 6:12 pm

    2innings

    Reply

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Welcome to Create & Babble. This is where I share my loves: crafting, hiking and camping

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